title: Oncogenesis and the clinical significance of K-ras in pancreatic adenocarcinoma.
abstract: The RAS family genes encode small GTP-binding cytoplasmic proteins. Activated KRAS engages multiple effector pathways, notably the RAF-mitogen-activated protein kinase, phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3K) and RalGDS pathways. In the clinical field, K-ras oncogene activation is frequently found in human cancers and thus may serve as a potential diagnostic marker for cancer cells in circulation. This mini-review aims to summarise information on Ras-induced oncogenesis and the clinical significance of K-ras.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Three Gorges Medical College, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Chun
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Wei-Min
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jian-Ping
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.forename: Kang
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D063646:Carcinogenesis / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D009154:Mutation; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / Q000235:genetics; D016283:Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras) / Q000235:genetics*; D048490:raf Kinases / Q000235:genetics; D020726:ral Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factor / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D020726:ral Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factor; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; D048490:raf Kinases; D016283:Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras)